Caspase-3-mediated cleavage of Cdc6 induces nuclear localization of truncated Cdc6 and apoptosis

We show that Cdc6, an essential initiation factor for DNA replication, undergoes caspase-3-mediated cleavage in the early stages of apoptosis in HeLa cells and SK-HEP-1 cells induced by etoposide, paclitaxel, ginsenoside Rh2, or TRAIL. The cleavage occurs at the SEVD$\^$442//G motif and generates an N-terminal truncated Cdc6 fragment (p49-tCdc6) that lacks the carboxy-terminal nuclear export sequence (NES). Cdc6 is known to be phosphorylated by cyclin A-Cyclin A-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2), an event that promotes its exit from the nucleus and probably blocks it from initiating inappropriate DNA replication. (omitted)